Travel Mondays: Martha’s Vineyard

On a cool Autumnal morning last October I hoped on a ferry at Hyannis Port and stepped off at Martha’s Vineyard. Despite the clouds it was clear why island has been a playground for the rich and famous for the last fifty years. With it’s epic sandy beaches, collection of quaint lighthouses and clapboard houses it is a haven away from the rest of America’s commercialism.

‘The Vineyard’ has long attracted writers and artists and politicians including Jackson Pollock, the Kennedys and now the Obamas. The island is divided into six small villages, all with similar calm atmospheres and trendy boutiques. An early morning boat-trip and a long leisurely stroll gives ample time to soak up the atmosphere, eat ice cream and peruse the eclectic houses of the super wealthy. There are bike trails and pathways all over the island and, as you leave the beaches behind, the dirt tracks in-land lead to wildflower meadows and remote farm houses that a left empty for most of the year.

Make sure you go to at least one lighthouse and stroll along the beaches, they are simple, captivating and offer spectacular views of the harbours and bays. A more perfect place on the Atlantic is hard to find.